Living conditions

The "assembly centers" were hastily erected quarters located throughout the West Coast at fairgrounds, racetracks and other similar facilities. Conditions at these locations were appalling. People were housed in animal stalls and barracks with communal bathrooms and mess halls. Privacy was next to nonexistent. Most families lived in a 20-by-20-foot room separated from the next "apartment" by wood partitions that did not reach the ceiling. Shortages of food and deplorable sanitation were common. Overcrowding, uncertainty, and stress created tension in the "assembly centers," even as the demoralized camp inmates tried to improve living conditions.

World War II (231)
Temporary Assembly Centers (231)
Living conditions (389)

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389 items
An Oral History with Lillie Y. McCabe, Part II (ddr-csujad-29-17)
av An Oral History with Lillie Y. McCabe, Part II (ddr-csujad-29-17)
An oral history with Lillie Y. McCabe, an incarceree at the Santa Anita Temporary Assembly Center and the Granada (Amache) incarceration camp. This interview was conducted for the Japanese American Oral History Project by California State University, Fullerton. The interview covers the Anglo reverends and ministers who helped her while she was incarcerated at Amache, how …
An Oral History with Margaret Masuoka (ddr-csujad-29-25)
av An Oral History with Margaret Masuoka (ddr-csujad-29-25)
An interview with Margaret Masuoka, a volunteer at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), conducted for the Japanese American Project at California State Fullerton's Center for Oral and Public History. Specifically, this interview provides insight to Masuoka's personal history dealing with the prejudice that she and her family faced due their Japanese ancestry; her family's settlement …
Lillie McCabe (ddr-csujad-29-19)
img Lillie McCabe (ddr-csujad-29-19)
Photo of Lillie McCabe. Oral history audio and transcript are found in csufccop_jaoh_0030, csufccop_jaoh_0031, and csufccop_jaoh_0032. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: 1949_P03
An Oral History with Lillie Y. McCabe, Part I (ddr-csujad-29-16)
av An Oral History with Lillie Y. McCabe, Part I (ddr-csujad-29-16)
An oral history with Lillie Y. McCabe, an incarceree at the Santa Anita Temporary Assembly Center and the Granada (Amache) incarceration camp. This interview was conducted for the Japanese American Oral History Project by California State University, Fullerton. The interview covers her childhood in Hollister, California, her family background; moving to Los Angeles, California in 1920 …
Postcard to Molly Wilson from Haruko Nagahiro (May 20, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-53)
doc Postcard to Molly Wilson from Haruko Nagahiro (May 20, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-53)
Postcard to Molly Wilson from Haruko Nagahiro (May 20, 1942). It is postmarked May 20, 1942 from the Pomona Assembly Center in Pomona, California.
Letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (May 9, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-101)
doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (May 9, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-101)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (May 9, 1942) from the Owens Valley Assembly Center in Manzanar, California.
Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (May 30, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-84)
doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (May 30, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-84)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (May 30, 1942). Envelope is postmarked but does not give a date from Chicago, Illinois.
Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (June 3, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-7)
doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (June 3, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-7)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (June 3, 1942). Postmarked June 5, 1942 from the Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California.
Letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (April 28, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-100)
doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (April 28, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-100)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (April 28, 1942) from the Owens Valley Assembly Center in Manzanar, California.
Letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (May 2, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-8)
doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (May 2, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-8)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (May 2, 1942) from the Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California. Letter has return address in the upper left hand corner but not stamped nor postmarked.
Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (July 8, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-10)
doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (July 8, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-10)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (July 8, 1942). Envelope is postmarked July 8, 1942 from the Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California.
View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-344)
img View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-344)
Original caption: San Bruno, California. This scene shows one type of barracks for family use. These were formerly the stalls for race horses. Each family is assigned to two small rooms, the inner one, of which, has no outside door nor window. The center has been in operation about six weeks and 8,000 persons of Japanese …
Nisei inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-276)
img Nisei inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-276)
Original caption: Sacramento, California. Harvey Akio Itano, 21, 1942 graduate from the University of California where he received his Bachelor of Science [in] Chemistry degree. He was chosen by the faculty as University Medalist for 1942 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. Mr. Itano went to the Assembly center prior to …
Assembly center barracks (ddr-densho-151-19)
img Assembly center barracks (ddr-densho-151-19)
Original WRA caption: Tanforan Assembly center, San Bruno, California. Barracks for family living quarters. Each door enters into a family unit of two small rooms. Tanforan assembly center was opened two days before the photograph was made. On the first day there had been a heavy rain. When a family has arrived here, first step of …
Japanese Americans inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-330)
img Japanese Americans inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-330)
Original caption: San Bruno, California. Old Mr. Konda in barrack apartment, after supper. He lives here with his two sons, his married daughter and her husband. They share two small rooms together. His daughter is seen behind him, knitting. He has been a truck farmer and raised his family who are also farmers, in Centerville, Alameda …
Assembly center barracks (ddr-densho-151-74)
img Assembly center barracks (ddr-densho-151-74)
Original WRA caption: Sacramento, California. View of barracks in block 2 during first week of occupancy of this Center. The entire Japanese population of the City of Sacramento are now here. The space under the trees seen in the background is reserved for the use of mothers and young children.
Horse stall at the Tanforan Assembly Center (ddr-densho-151-20)
img Horse stall at the Tanforan Assembly Center (ddr-densho-151-20)
Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. A near- view of a horse stall left from days when what is now Tanforan Assembly center, was the famous Tanforan Race Track. Most of these stalls have been converted into family living quarters for evacuated Japanese.
View of barracks and mess hall (ddr-densho-151-345)
img View of barracks and mess hall (ddr-densho-151-345)
Original caption: San Bruno, California. Another view of barracks at the Tanforan Assembly center, after approximately six weeks of occupancy. The building on the right is one of the eighteen such mess halls which, together, accommodate approximately 8,000 persons for three meals each day.
Sacramento Assembly Center, California (ddr-densho-151-75)
img Sacramento Assembly Center, California (ddr-densho-151-75)
Original WRA caption: Sacramento, California. This Center has been open for about a week. It has a capacity for 5000 persons. The people seen walking across the field toward the barracks are mothers and children of Japanese ancestry who have been in the playground and are coming back to the messhall for lunch.
View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-357)
img View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-357)
Original caption: San Bruno, California. Shown here is one type of barracks for family use. These were formerly the stalls for race horses. Each family is assigned to two small rooms, the inner one with no outside door nor window. The center has been in operation about six weeks. 8,000 evacuees are now assembled here.
Japanese Americans in mess hall line (ddr-densho-151-44)
img Japanese Americans in mess hall line (ddr-densho-151-44)
Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. View of the Tanforan Assembly Center, showing a type of barrack peculiar to the center. Also shown in part of a line-up of evacuees waiting for places in the mess hall for their noon meal.
Bedding and clothing in front of barracks (ddr-densho-151-456)
img Bedding and clothing in front of barracks (ddr-densho-151-456)
Original caption: San Bruno, California. This assembly center has been open for two days. Bus- load after bus-load of evacuated Japanese are arriving today. After going through the necessary procedure, they are guided to the quarters assigned to them in the barracks. This family had just arrived. Their bedding and clothing have been delivered by truck …
View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-336)
img View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-336)
Original caption: San Bruno, California. A close-up of the exterior of a family unit. These barracks were formerly horse-stalls. Each family is assigned two small rooms. The interior one has neither outside door nor window.
Remodeled horse stalls (ddr-densho-151-59)
img Remodeled horse stalls (ddr-densho-151-59)
Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. This center is a converted race track. Here are shown what were horsestalls remodeled into living quarters for families. Photograph was made at noon on the third day after the center had been opened.
Nisei friends inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-460)
img Nisei friends inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-460)
Original caption: Sacramento, California. Masamichi Suzuki, and Bill Sugiyama, roommates of Harey Itano, at the Assembly center. Both boys have attended the University of California and Mr. Sugiyama was accepted by the University of California Medical School prior to evacuation, but is now unable to attend.
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